Dear families and friends of the school,
As another school year draws to a close, we would like to take a moment to celebrate the many experiences, achievements, and memorable moments that have made this year so special for our school community.
This final newsletter of the current school year provides an update on some of the events, activities, and achievements that have taken place in our school since our May edition.
As we begin the summer break, we hope that everyone enjoys a relaxing and enjoyable holiday, with plenty of opportunities to spend time with family and friends and recharge for the year ahead. We would like to thank all our families for their continued support, encouragement, and involvement throughout the year.
School reports and information for the coming school year
School reports were sent out last week on Aladdin. Accompanying the reports was a school calendar and information on how to interpret the report cards and standardised tests. If you have not received the information, please contact the office on 051-832984 or email secretary.ferrybankgns@gmail.com.
Stationary lists will be sent out today for all classes on Aladdin. Please let us know if you have any issues.
Booklists will been uploaded under the ‘Policy’ tab on the website. Please remember, you do not need to buy any books, workbooks or copies for the coming school year. They will be provided for you here when your child returns to school in late August.
Staffing Arrangement for the 2026/2027 school year
Staffing arrangements were communicated to the girls and their parents this week.
The staffing arrangements for the coming school year are:
Junior Infants – Ms. Ciara Hall
Senior Infants/1st Class – Ms. Monica Kelly (Deputy Principal)
1st/2nd Class – Mrs. Maeve Power
3rd Class – Ms. Carmel Fogarty/Ms. Clare Quigley (job-sharing)
4th Class – Ms. Mairead Power
5th Class – Mrs. Clare Burke
6th Class – Mrs. Feana Foley
SET – Mrs. Mary Ryan
SET – Mrs. Aisling Shanahan
SET – Ms. Susan Rellis
SET – Ms. Ann Cunniffe
We would like to thank Ms. Alice Hutchinson and Mrs. Clodagh Hayes for all of their work and dedication over the last few years with us in Good Counsel. We are sad to see you both move on but wish you the very best for the future. Best wishes also to Ms. Eilis Walsh who is on a career break in the coming year.
Final Assembly of the Year
Our final assembly of the school year was a wonderful occasion to celebrate achievements and look ahead to the summer break. We were delighted to welcome Helen and Margaret from Ferrybank Library, who spoke to the girls about the Summer Stars Reading Programme. This fantastic initiative encourages children to continue reading throughout the summer and helps foster a lifelong love of books.
During the assembly, we also recognised the achievements of our U-13 camogie team, presenting the girls with their Roinn A runners-up medals following their excellent season.
A number of special annual awards were also presented. Congratulations to Ms. Hutchinson’s 2nd Class, who received the Class Attendance Award, to Maelíosa in 5th Class, who was named Good Counsel Good Citizen of the Year, and to Ria in 6th Class, who received the Camogie Player of the Year Award. Well done all!
Finally, we wished 6th class well on what is their last week in primary school. As is customary here, during the assembly the 6th class girls presented all staff with a custom made card and message to thank them for their help on their journey here in Good Counsel.
Our weekly assemblies have been a valued part of school life throughout the year, providing an opportunity for classes to share their learning, celebrate successes, and come together as a school community. The girls always enjoy these gatherings, and this final assembly was a fitting way to conclude a memorable year at Our Lady of Good Counsel.
Sports Day
We were very lucky with the weather for this year’s Sports Day, as the sun shone and the conditions were perfect for a fun-filled day outdoors.
The girls thoroughly enjoyed taking part in the wide range of activities and events organised throughout the day. It was wonderful to see everyone getting involved, encouraging one another, and having lots of fun.
A big thank you to Mrs. Shanahan for organising another fantastic Sports Day and to all of the staff who helped make the day such a success. We hope the girls made lots of happy memories and enjoyed the day!
Cake Sale
A big thank you to the Parents’ Association who organised a Cake Sale on Tuesday of this week. Thank you to all of the girls and families for their generosity and effort in baking buns, cakes and other treats for the day. Thank you also to the parents/family members who visited the school on the day to support! As ever, the Cake Sale was a great success with over €500 raised. Well done to everyone!!
6th Class Graduation
Last week, our 6th Class pupils took to the stage for their end-of-year production, which was enjoyed by fellow pupils, staff, and families. The performance marked a special milestone in their final weeks at Our Lady of Good Counsel and was a wonderful celebration of their time in the school.
A huge amount of work and dedication went into preparing for the production, and the girls, together with their teacher, should be extremely proud of what they achieved. From the confident performances and lively musical numbers to the energy, enthusiasm, and teamwork on display, the show was a great success and thoroughly enjoyed by all who attended.
The production provided a fitting opportunity for the girls to create lasting memories together before moving on to the next stage of their educational journey. Throughout their years in Good Counsel, this group has made a valuable contribution to school life and has been a credit to themselves, their families, and the school community.
We congratulate the girls on all they have accomplished and wish them every success, and happiness as they begin their journey in secondary school.
School Tours
Our school tours came to an end this week, with 6th Class enjoying their trip to the Dunmore Adventure Centre. The excitement was building across the school in the lead-up to each tour, and it was great to see every class looking forward to their special day out.
The tours provided wonderful opportunities for the girls to have fun, try new experiences, and spend time together outside the classroom. As ever, we were also delighted to receive such positive feedback on the girls’ behaviour throughout the trips. They represented Our Lady of Good Counsel exceptionally well and were a credit to themselves, their families, and the school.
A sincere thank you to all of the teachers, SNAs, and to Tracey in the office for the work involved in organising and accompanying the tours. We hope all of the girls enjoyed their trips and have made lots of happy memories on their days out.
Camogie
Congratulations to our U-13 camogie team, who reached the Roinn A Final in May. The girls were defeated by a strong St. Mary’s N.S, Ballygunner team in Walsh Park, but they worked extremely hard and represented our school with great pride in very warm conditions.
This was a significant achievement for the school, as it was the first time we have competed in Roinn A, having previously played in Roinn C and Roinn D since we began taking part in school camogie. Reaching the final shows the excellent progress that has been made. Well done girls!
Many thanks to Mrs. Shanahan for all of her hard work in preparing and training the team throughout the year.
Africa Day May 25th 2026
We were delighted to celebrate Africa Day in our school, recognising and celebrating the rich cultures and traditions of our pupils of African heritage. A number of our girls proudly wore their beautiful traditional dress, giving everyone the opportunity to appreciate the wonderful diversity within our school community.
We are incredibly proud to celebrate the many nationalities and cultures represented in our school. Our diversity is one of our greatest strengths, and occasions like Africa Day remind us of the importance of inclusion, respect and learning from one another.
Thank you to the wonderful girls in our school community who helped us share Africa day. Ms. Kelly
The Vegetable Garden – June 2026 Update.
Our school garden is thriving at this time of year and is producing an abundance of fresh vegetables that were carefully sown during early spring. We are delighted to see our broad beans, peas, beetroot, salad leaves, radishes, potatoes, onions, and garlic all growing so well.
We have also planted carrots and parsnips, which will be ready for harvesting in early autumn, along with our recently planted pumpkins — just in time for Halloween!
A sincere thank you to all of our wonderful little gardeners who helped in so many ways throughout the year. Your enthusiasm, care, and hard work have played a very important role in helping our school garden flourish. Ms. Kelly
Rapunzel Foundation
We would like to congratulate Sophia in 4th Class, who recently donated her hair to the Rapunzel Foundation. Sophia made the generous decision to have a significant amount of her hair cut so that it can be used to help create wigs for children and young people who suffer from long term hair loss.
Well done, Sophia, on this wonderful achievement. We are very proud of your kindness and generosity!
Ferrybank Camogie
Ferrybank Camogie are holding a fundraising event and memorial blitz in aid of Féileacáin on Saturday July 11th in memory of Aoife (Oates) and Ailbhe Bird. See below for more details.
.
Peadar’s Summer Camp 2026
Peader’s Summer Camp will take place in Ferrybank GAA Club from Monday July 20th – Friday July 24th from 10am – 2pm. Fee €30 per child Ages 5 – 15 years. Please see the application form below if your daughter would like to attend they should be returned be July 10th.
In Memory
We extend our sincere condolences to Mrs. Ryan (5th Class) and her family on the recent passing of her Mam. Our thoughts and prayers are with Mrs. Ryan and her family at this sad time. May she rest in peace.
As we close this final newsletter of the school year, we would like to take a moment to thank all of our pupils, parents, staff, and the wider school community for your continued support, enthusiasm, and partnership throughout the year.
We hope you all have a safe, relaxing, and enjoyable summer break. May it be filled with sunshine, fun, and well-deserved rest. We look forward to welcoming everyone back refreshed and ready for another exciting year ahead.
Wishing you all a wonderful summer!
Your sincerely,
J. Nagle
Principal
